Electrophotographic copying apparatus having ribbon-shaped toner image carrier

An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• developing means disposed in a developing position and capable of forming, on said photosensitive member, a toner image of information to be recorded;
• first driving means for driving said photosensitive member from said developing position to a transfer position;
• a heat-resistant ribbon-shaped toner image carrier movable from said transfer position to a heat-fixing position, said toner image carrier comprising a heat-resistant endless belt which includes a web of metal:
• transfer means disposed in said transfer position for transferring said toner image from said photosensitive member to said toner image carrier;
• second driving means for driving said toner-image carrier from said transfer position to said heat-fixing position;
• recording medium feeding means for feeding a sheet-type recording medium into said heat-fixing position;
• transfer/fixing means disposed in said heat-fixing position and operative to superpose said recording medium and said toner-image carrier one on the other and to transfer said toner image from said toner-image carrier to said recording medium and fix the thus transferred toner image to said recording medium, said transfer/fixing means including a plate-like heating member disposed in contact with the surface of said toner-image carrier opposite to the image-carrying surface to heat said toner-image carrier, and a heat-resistant roller for pressing said recording medium onto said image-carrying surface of said toner-image carrier at least during a toner image transferring and fixing operation;
• and
• cooling means for cooling the portion of said heat-resistant endless belt which has passed through said heat-fixing position and has been separated from said sheet-type recording medium, said cooling means being disposed adjacent a path of travel of said portion of said endless belt from said heat-fixing position to said photosensitive member to protect said photosensitive member against heat applied by said heating member to said endless belt portion.

An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• developing means disposed in a developing position and capable of forming, on said photosensitive member, a toner image of information to be recorded;
• driving means for driving said photosensitive member from said developing position to a transfer position;
• a heat-resistant endless belt having a run extending at least between said transfer position and a heat-fixing position, said endless belt comprising a web of metal;
• a transfer means disposed in said transfer position for transferring said toner image from said photosensitive member to said run of said endless belt;
• a driving drum disposed in engagement with an inner surface of a loop of said heat-resistant endless belt so as to drive, from said transfer position to said heat-fixing position, the run of said heat-resistant endless belt which has received the toner image;
• recording medium feeding means for feeding a sheet-type recording medium into said heat-fixing position;
• transfer/fixing means disposed in said heat-fixing position and operative to superpose said recording medium and said run of said heat-resistant endless belt one on the other and to transfer said toner image for said endless belt of said recording medium and fixing the transferred toner image to said recording medium;
• control means for controlling the operations of said driving means, said driving drum and said recording medium feeding means;
• said transfer/fixing means including a plate-like heating member disposed in contact with an inner surface of a loop of said endless belt opposite to the image-carrying surface to heat said endless belt, and a heat-resistant roller for pressing said recording medium onto said image-carrying surface of said loop of said heat-resistant endless belt, at least during a toner-image transferring and fixing operation;
• and
• cooling means for cooling the portion of said heat-resistant endless belt which has passed through said heat-fixing position and has been separated from said sheet-type recording medium, said cooling means being disposed adjacent a path of travel of said portion of said endless belt from said heat-fixing position to said photosensitive member to protect said photosensitive member against heat applied by said heating member to said endless belt portion.

An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive drum;
• a developing device for forming, on said photosensitive drum, a toner image of information to be recorded:
• a heat-resistant endless belt having a run extending from said transfer position to a heat-fixing position, said endless belt comprising a web of metal;
• a transfer roller for transferring the toner image from said photosensitive drum to said heat-resistant endless belt;
• a driving drum engaging with an inner surface of a loop of said heat-resistant endless belt so as to drive, from said transfer position to said heat-fixing position, the run of said heat-resistant endless belt which has received said toner image;
• recording medium feeding means for feeding a sheet-type recording medium to said heat-fixing position;
• transfer/fixing means disposed in said heat-fixing position and operative to superimpose said sheet-type recording medium and said run of said heat-resistant endless belt one on the other and to transfer said toner image from said heat-resistant endless belt to said sheet-type recording medium and fix the transferred image to said sheet-type recording medium, said transfer/fixing means including heating means disposed in contact with the inner surface of the loop of said heat-resistant endless belt to heat said heat-resistant endless belt, said heating means including an electrically energizable plate-like heating member;
• wherein said photosensitive drum, said heat-resistant endless belt, said transfer roller, said driving drum and said heating means are mounted on a common frame which is detachable from a frame of the apparatus;
• and
• cooling means for cooling the portion of said heat-resistant endless belt which has passed through said heat-fixing position and has been separated from said sheet-type medium, said cooling means being disposed adjacent a path of travel of said portion of said endless belt from said heat-fixing position to said photosensitive member to protect said photosensitive member against heat applied by said heating member to said endless belt portion.